Record-high 170 evictions a day

An eviction notice for a tenant on the Butterfields estate, Waltham Forest, east London, photo by Socialist Party (Click to enlarge)

Stephanie Hammond

Evictions in England and Wales reached a record high last year as over 170 people lost their homes every day.

Ministry of Justice figures revealed a 53% increase since 2010. Nearly 20,000 evictions in England were from social landlords and 5,919 were by private landlords.

16,440 were made using the "accelerated procedure" - where landlords hurry evictions through the courts.

16 of the 20 worst areas were in London. The highest rate of repossessions was in Labour-controlled Newham, east London, at 191 for every 100,000 households.

The Conservative Party is intent on destroying social housing for good.

The Housing and Planning Bill will fully transform housing associations into cut-throat businesses. Councils will sell off the last of their stock.

Market

And 'pay to stay' will force social tenants on joint incomes of £40,000 to rent at the inflated market rate.

Recently, Conservative MPs filibustered a motion to put an end to revenge evictions, and this year voted down a proposal for homes to be 'fit for human habitation'.

Meanwhile, Labour councils have enthusiastically sold off council housing and played a shameful role in social cleansing.

But tenants can organise together to resist evictions. From the historic Glasgow rent strikes to the recent win by students at University College London, the record shows that when tenants join forces we can win.

This must take place as part of a general movement against austerity.

The Socialist Party calls for councils to refuse to evict social tenants, and start compulsory registration of private landlords to help prevent abuses. We want democratic committees of tenants and workers to set controls on private rents. And we demand a mass programme of council house building to provide homes for all.